Tuesday, October 20, 2009

apparently....

I appear to be taking a blogging break.

I didn't *mean* to.  I just got sick (hmmm.....could it be H1N1??.....cue scary music....duhn, duhn, duhn) and it seemed to drag on and on and on.  I'm still coughing, although not NEAR as bad.  Now I'm just draining all my sinusy gunk away (gross, I know), so hopefully I'm at the end of this all.  Then I am *definitely* jumping back on the vitamin bandwagon (SuperMom Vitamins here I come!).




Just to catch you up with what's happening around here...um, not much.

No, seriously though, this bug wiped me out.  The kids and I have S L O W L Y been working our way through a unit study on Charlotte's Web (review to follow for my favorite *instant* curriculum site:  CurrClick).  [Hey, Charlotte's Web?  Wilbur?!  Swine Flu?!?  It's all connected ~ man, when we do a unit study, we really go *all out*, eh??!]  We're also still working our way through their Lifepac Math books (10 workbooks per year) - each child is going at his  or her own pace and lovin' it! (loving math, you woulda thunk it?!).  Tali is working on her letters (learning to write them and what sound they make) although we're not doing anything formal - just livin' life and a worksheet here or there whenever she wants to sit down and "do school" with the big'uns.


I've also reading my way through a book on UN-schooling.  I'm not up for actually unschooling my children as their sole education - yet I enjoy learning how these families live their lives in such an educationally-rich environment.  I would love to add some of these "ideas" into our day to day lives, just normal living, plus some of our more structured curriculum.  I'm not willing to give up our math workbooks, nor our copywork or unit studies (which are totally fun anyways) - plus, as the kids get older, their school becomes a bit more structured anyways (a lot done on the computer) - that's the plan anyways.   You know the saying.....well laid plans and all......;)  It's fun to read and experiment with different ideas anyway~


We've also got Trunk-or-Treat happening at our church soon.  The kids expressed an interest for our family to actually have a decorated "trunk" this year to pass out candy.  The idea is for them all to be Wizard of Oz characters (Isaac-Tinman, Selah-Scarecrow, Tali-Dorothy, Elijah-lion, Micah-Toto) and the van to be decorated with simple scenes from the movie (twister, emerald city, forest, yellow brick road, rainbow).  I think I can pull most of this off with cardboard, paint, markers, scissors and glue - I think.  I would also have to come up with my own costume.  The wicked witch of the east would be easiest (I have a long black dress, could get a cape and pointy hat)......but do pastor's wives DO wicked witches??  Is that a problem??  Everyone watches The Wizard of Oz.....hmmm.....still debating.....


Lastly, the work should be starting soon on our downstairs (my parents future living space) ~ that outta be interesting.  It'll sure be educational, that's for sure.  I'm guessing we'll be doing a bunch of learning focused on plumbing, floorplans, electricians, drywall, "green" products, etc......we could have our very own Remodeling/Construction Unit Study!!

I'm starting to feel the beginnings of a sinus migraine....the weather is changing a bit and some rain is coming.  Added in with my stuffed up head.....well, let's just say I need to take a few Excedrin.  Then I'm off to crochet some Christmas presents.  Fun stuff~

Later my faithful friends (and thanks for sticking around during my LONG absence),

17 comments:

LLJ said...

I was wonderin...
Glad you are back! : )
Leanne

Danielle said...

Glad to hear you're getting better. I just wish it would happen a little faster for you! You made me giggle with the whole Charlotte's Web, Wilbur, Swine Flu thing! You're funny.

Virginia Revoir said...

Wow, you are one busy mommy! A great one at that. :D Just wondering what kind of curriculum online you use? Or do you? My son is ultra bored with his 3rd grade version and I'm thinking of switching to Switched on School house. I think that's it. I just can't fly on my own. I have to have somthing laid out for me because I haven't been doing this a long time. As of right now I homeschool all day every day but I hope to get something for my 3rd grader where he doesn't have to have me sitting with him the whole time.

Kenni B said...

Is that a current pic of the yard? You guys lose all your leaves already?

Kerry said...

Glad you are feeling better! I've missed your blog'n! ~Kerry

Brooke said...

Hmmmmm.....I don't know....it wouldn't bother me...but I think Aunt Em might be the way to go. I hear you on the blog...I need to get back in the swing of things with it too. Ugh...okay.

Unknown said...

@Jenny ~ Actually, my oldest is in 2nd grade. We use a combination of Weaver Unit Studies, Lifepac Math wkbooks, 100 easy lessons for phonics, a bunch of copywork, KONOS here and there, plus some free stuff I find on-line - it's whatever I find, really.

At this age (pre-K to 2nd grade), I just want 'em to learn to love reading, get the basics of math and start the writing process. We do unit studies which cover everything from Bible to social studies to science to health to you name it - but really, I'm just most concerned with the reading at that age.


THEN, in 3rd grade, my plan is to go to SOS (yes, Switched on Schoolhouse). With many lil' ones, I want something that they can do on their own - with my help whenever needed, of course. I will still be doing the Unit Studies with the younger ones, and I'm betting the older ones will still be involved, but the BULK of their formal schooling will be SOS.

Of course, this is just "the plan" and I'm not sure if things will work out as I plan (they rarely do) - but that's the basic idea.

@Kenny ~ no this is a pic from this spring, before the trees had their leaves. We still have lots of leaves (although, they are falling fast!).

~Lori

Unknown said...

@Brooke ~ I saw that the church's website says no witches (among other things - I understand their reasoning, about not wanting to scare the lil' ones), so I think I'll be doing Auntie Em.... I think. Hey, did you find those red shoes of Anne's that Tali could borrow that day??

I'll see ya tonight~

Brooke said...

oooh. Thanks for the reminder, I'll go up and get them!

Unknown said...

We don't do Halloween at all. The roots of Halloween are evil. So we don't do ANY dress up etc.

Hope you guys feel better soon!! Keep your hands clean, or use Purell. It's been working in our home. And don't forget lots of fruits and veggies, lots of sleep and water!

Dean B. said...

Well, DanielleSB....tell us how you REALLY feel. There is something to be said, however, about being salt and light in a dark world. We do agree, I'm sure, there is no darker night out there than Halloween.

Dean

Virginia Revoir said...

I know this looks like a sensitive subject but Halloween doen't have to be celebrated in an evil way. Our kids can still have fun on that day. My church puts on a big party for the kids, they all come dressed up and they do games and prizes. We call it a Hallelujah party. Ha ha. Don't worry about it. Have fun with your kids. It's not like you're going to sacrifice animals and say chants with your kids.

Unknown said...

If you are going to skip out on Halloween due to it's evil roots, you'd better be willing to give up a few other holidays due to pagan roots as well: Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, even Groundhog Day.

Apparently, Constantine (Roman Emperor) incorporated the pagan holidays/festivals into church rituals - appealing to pagans and appeasing the Christians.

Now OBVIOUSLY, Halloween can have a much *darker* theme than Christmas - yet both have pagan (aka: evil) roots. Yet just as we now celebrate Christmas in a CHRIST centered way, it's also *possible* to celebrate even Halloween in a way that would be put Christ back at the center. Dressing up isn't evil per se ~ our kids play dress-up all the time. Going to the sun-rise service on Easter (aka: Resurrection Sunday - um, just a different name) was actually to worship a sun god, not the risen Lord. Yet I wouldn't say those attending an early sun-rise service are practicing pagan rituals today.

So.....if you choose to NOT celebrate Halloween (which is obviously your right in your family), it's a hard sell to say it's due to it's evil roots. Maybe just because you don't like all the dark themes or scary stuff or whatever. Unless of course, you are also not celebrating Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc.etc.etc.....which I know there are some who choose to skip all these holidays for that very reason.

It's all up to you, your dh and the Lord and I respect the different decisions other families make. We're all just trying to do what's right, honor our Lord and protect our family. It's a difficult road to navigate at times, that's for sure!!

Unknown said...

Um I'm not talking about pagan rituals ... do some REAL research on Halloween.

Unknown said...

Whether it's pagan rituals, bowing to other gods, satanism, animal sacrifices, whatever - it's ALL evil in the sight of the Lord. So if you give up one for being "evil", it's logical that you would give up all of them.

Like I said, you are entitled to your opinions and your decisions (obviously you get to make those decisions). Yet we also get to make our decisions. If you want to share with us about the "evil roots" of certain holidays - that is fine. Yet it is also fine for other readers (including myself) to disagree or have another viewpoint.

To assume that no one BUT YOU has done any *real* research seems a bit much. I would say most Christians realize that Halloween has evil roots ~ yet we all come to different conclusions about what that means in regards to our families celebrating that today. I think we can agree to *respectfully* disagree.

Jessica D. said...

Hey, your pond is looking good :D we'll as good as dying looks!

Unknown said...

actually, Jessica, that is our pond this spring, before we'd even moved in. I would be ECSTATIC if that was our pond now.

No, I'm guessing we'll wait 'till it all dies for winter and then try to treat it again come early spring, before the weeds start to grow for the season. If your dh has any ideas, *please*, let us know!!